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Sheriff’s Office to Celebrate National Forensic Science Week with Presentations from Roger Kemp and Dennis Fritz

Posted Date: 8/13/2013

Olathe, Kan – In celebration of National Forensic Science Week August 11-17 the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Criminalistics Laboratory and attendees will hear from two of the nation’s most recognized individuals impacted by forensic sciences. Roger Kemp and Dennis Fritz will share their experiences of how the impact of forensic science changed their lives.

Roger Kemp, father of homicide victim Ali Kemp will speak on the contributions of current forensic science and the importance it plays in convictions. Kemp has worked tirelessly to bring his daughter’s murderer to justice. During that struggle he created a billboard campaign which posts criminals pictures on billboards that has been adopted by law enforcement agencies across the United States including the F.B.I. and the hit series America’s Most Wanted. To this day these billboards continue to be used and have apprehended murderers by the hundreds.

Dennis Fritz, subject of John Grisham’s book “An Innocent Man” will speak on the contributions of forensic science to his exoneration. Dennis Fritz was an ordinary man leading an ordinary life in Ada, Oklahoma. A school teacher and football coach his life was turned upside down when, on May 8, 1987, he was on his way to jail on charges of rape and murder. After twelve years of incarceration, with the help of Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project, and DNA testing, Dennis was exonerated and the real killer was found guilty. On Apr. 15, 1999, Dennis walked free from prison.